The need for a clearer tax code

3 Dec 2012

Mark Littlewood appears on Newsnight

Mark Littlwood appeared on BBC Newsnight to discuss corporation tax. In a heated debate, Littlewood said that the government has to have a clear tax code, and until it does, corporation tax enforcement is a joke.

It is like going onto the motorway and telling people not to drive at 70mph – if you want that, change the speed limit, Littlewood argued.

A changing trend in consumer behaviour has seen a swing towards large, recognised companies, like Amazon or Starbucks. The intellectual property, such as their instantly recognisable logos, are central to these companies’ success. It is only right, therefore, that British based businesses pay for that intellectual property, Littlewood said. In the same way, some percentage of profits from Hollywood films shown in the UK, such as Spiderman, should be paid to the IP holder, reducing companies' taxable profits in Britain.

In a free society, consumer power is a wonderful thing, Littlewood argued. People should be given the opportunity to boycott these businesses and influence change, rather than public grandstanding by politicians.